CVE-2026-42072: NornicDB has Improper Network Binding in its Bolt Server, allowing unauthorized remote access

Should you act?

Critical and remotely reachable

No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.

• No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
• EPSS 0.6%, percentile 48: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.6% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 48% of all scored CVEs (low). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
• Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
• Only applies if your dependency tree includes github.com/orneryd/nornicdb (Go) < 1.0.42-hotfix, fixed in 1.0.42-hotfix. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

What it is

Nornicdb is a distributed low-latency, Graph+Vector, Temporal MVCC with all sub-ms HNSW search, graph traversal, and writes. Prior to version 1.0.42-hotfix, the --address CLI flag (and NORNICDBADDRESS / server.host config key) is plumbed through to the HTTP server correctly but never reaches the Bolt server config. The Bolt listener therefore always binds to the wildcard address (all interfaces), regardless of what the user configures. On a LAN, this exposes the graph database — with its default admin:password credentials — to any device sharing the network. This issue has been patched in version 1.0.42-hotfix.

From the GitHub advisory

Summary

The --address CLI flag (and NORNICDBADDRESS / server.host config key) is plumbed through to the HTTP server correctly but never reaches the Bolt server config. The Bolt listener therefore always binds to the wildcard address (all interfaces), regardless of what the user configures.

On a LAN, this exposes the graph database — with its default admin:password credentials — to any device sharing the network.

Version

- nornicdb v1.0.39 - Built from commit afe7c9d on main - Platform: macOS (darwin 25.4.0, arm64)

Weakness type: CWE-1392.

Product: github.com/orneryd/nornicdb (Go) · Assigned by: GitHub_M · Published: 2026-05-08

Affected and fixed versions

Severity scores

• Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
• Attack complexity: low
• Privileges required: none (no login)
• User interaction: none
• Scope: unchanged

CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.

Exploitation and urgency

• CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
• CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none, automatable yes, technical impact total.
• FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.60% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 48.

Timeline

• 2026-04-22 — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-2hp7-65r3-wv54 published (critical)
• 2026-05-08 — CVE record published by GitHub_M
• 2026-05-12 — CVE record last updated

Sources and references

Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.

Vulnerability records

1. GitHub Advisory GHSA-2hp7-65r3-wv54 github.com
2. CVE.org record CVE-2026-42072 cve.org
3. NVD entry CVE-2026-42072 nvd.nist.gov

Other references from the CVE record and advisory

1. github.com github.com
2. github.com github.com
3. github.com github.com
4. github.com github.com

Critical Go advisories · Today’s Security Digest